Traumatic giant cell tumor of rib: A case report

BACKGROUND: Giant cell tumor (GCT) of the anterior rib origin is extremely rare. We report the first case of trauma-induced GCT of the rib. CASE SUMMARY: A 22-year-old female developed a mass over the right anterior chest wall with pain 3 mo after a falling injury with blunt trauma of the right chest wall. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed a tumor originating from the right 6th rib with bony destruction, and a CT-guided needle biopsy revealed a GCT. We completely resected the tumor with chest wall and performed reconstruction. The pathological diagnosis was GCT of the bone. Twelve months after surgery, no signs of recurrence were observed. CONCLUSION: GCT of the rib after trauma has not been reported. Meticulous history-taking and image evaluation are essential for the differential diagnosis of unusual chest wall tumors.